England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Bloxworth St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Bloxworth lies in the southeastern portion of central Dorset roughly 6 miles northwest of the market town of Wareham. Bloxworth is a small and compact village lying 3/4s of a mile north of the A35 road which connects Bere Regis with the Greater Poole area. Most of the properties in the village sit around a crossroads of lane with slightly more to its west and around the church. Bloxworth sits within the sands and gravels of later geology, a largely infertile area similar to the Weald of Kent & Sussex, early gazetteers estimate that only 50% of the parish acreage was workable land and that evenly divided between arable and pastoral farming. The remaining area, at the time of this transcript, was heathland, lightly used "in common" for gathering of broom, light grazing and forestry. It is that aspect which nowadays dominates with Bloxworth surrounded by extensive plantations of, mainly, conifers. Bloxworth is drained eastwards by the small Sherford River which reaches Poole Harbour to the west of Poole, itself. Bloxworth is sited at around 50 metres above the sea in gentle terrain which struggles to 67 metres within the ancient site of Woolsbarrow fort, one of many relics of ancient times which include many tumuli across the district. Bloxworth parish was slightly large for a southern parish, covering close to 3,000 acres it was twice the normal size and would have supported around 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Bloxworth was an equally small settlement, held by Cerne Abbey it could muster just 6 ploughs together with the usual meadows, pastures and woodland.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits toward the western end of the dead-end lane heading westwards from the village crossroads, beyond the final few houses it becomes a popular bridleway headed through woodland to Woodbury Hill, another ancient hill-top site, and Bere Regis. Like most churches St Andrew is a much altered building, subject to continuous phases of rebuilding across the centuries. The earliest piece remaining shows its ancient origins in the 12th century Norman Romanesque period, only the re-set southern doorway remains from that earliest church. Also of the medieval but of the late 14th century is the western tower, a typical piece of Perpendicular work found in many of the county's churches. Whilst the nave and chancel were undoubtedly medieval in origin they have been substantially rebuilt in later times. The nave was largely reconstructed in c1680, an unusual era for major church work, whilst the chancel was completely rebuilt in 1870 in a Gothic Revival style as part of the typical Victorian restoration. The lane which passes is narrow but carries little traffic and there are broad-enough verges for safe parking. A covered set of wooden gate grant access to the churchyard which is open & uncluttered with few obstacles for the photographer.